1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for tightly fitting hay rolls end to end in a plastic sleeve and closing the sleeve ends to seal the hay rolls maintained therein until needed.
2. Prior Art
The present invention is an improved system for mounting and stretching a folded plastic sleeve onto a ring wherethrough individual hay rolls are passed off from a hay roll hopper or cradle under the urgings of a ram. The sleeve is tied at one end that receives a first hay roll, and is unfolded off the ring as a first and subsequent hay rolls travel therethrough. Prior systems, to provide a ring arrangement capable of expanding to stretch a plastic sleeve folded thereover, have involved a plurality of overlapping sections that are each arranged to be moved by a hydraulically operated piston to slide over one another for expanding or contracting the ring circumference across the ring middle to top portion. Such arrangements require a separate hydraulic or air operated piston for each leaf, with the operation or which pistons required to be coordinated to provide a required closing and restoration of the ring circumference. The present invention provides a dramatic improvement over such moving leaf system as it involves a plastic sleeve mounting ring that requires only a single hydraulic or air operated piston to fold a folding ring section upon itself and pivot adjacent pivot sections inwardly, folding the ring upon itself. The ring pivot sections are connected to a solid ring portion that is secured to a transport vehicle and the ring pivot sections pivot towards one another as the folding section is folded. Moving the ring folding and pivot sections inwardly provides a reduction in ring circumference so as to allow a folded sleeve to be easily fitted thereon that is for bagging the individual hay rolls. Whereafter, by retracting the single piston, the ring folded section is pulled outwardly and the pivot sections are spread apart to erect the ring to its full circumference, stretching the plastic sleeve folded thereon. The stretched plastic sleeve is fed off the ring as hay rolls are urged therethrough. Which plastic sleeve, when fed off the ring, returns to its original shape to fit tightly against the hay roll.